Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2018)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Mass timber movement aims high A mass movement is underway in Oregon — a mass timber movement. Mass timber is cross- laminated timber — called CLT — mass plywood and other types of engineered wood that turn lumber into large, strong building materials that can support multi-story buildings. It’s been called “plywood on steroids” and is substantial enough to replace steel and concrete. It’s “green” because it comes from a renewable resource — trees — and sequesters carbon. It also emits less carbon dioxide during its production than other materials. While mass timber has been used in places like Europe and Australia for decades — huge mass timber structures, buildings and houses have been built across those continents — it’s just starting to catch on in the U.S. That’s because U.S. building codes typically don’t include it. Now, however, Oregon codes allow its use. National codes could also allow it within a few years, opening the door to wider use of mass timber. The U.S. mass timber movement had its beginnings in tiny Whitefish, Montana, in 2011, when a 4,863-square- foot commercial building was constructed using CLT. It was completed at a cost of $145 per square foot and took five days to build, according to the Wood Products Council. The CLT panels came from Europe — there are now several sources for it in the U.S. and Canada — and the building was designed using international building codes. A person doesn’t have to be a construction engineer to see the value of CLT — and the potential of mass timber in general. It is cost-effective, easy to install and strong. Oregon State University and the University of Oregon have created the TallWood Design Institute to take the lead in mass timber research and development. The U of O College of Design and OSU’s College of Forestry and College of Engineering have a platoon of researchers working on new products and designs, testing materials and helping to chart the future of mass timber. The institute’s new $79 million building is also made of CLT, though a glitch in its production has set back the construction schedule. Elsewhere in the state, Freres Lumber Co. in Lyons has patented a new type of mass timber called mass plywood. The company’s owners say the plywood panels can range up to 48-feet long, 12 feet wide and 24 inches thick, use 20 percent less wood and are as strong as CLT. Other companies in the U.S. and Canada are also pressing ahead with innovations, making the future of mass timber virtually unlimited. Already in the U.S., buildings as large as 156,000 square feet and eight stories tall have been built in Portland. Seattle allows the use of CLT in buildings up to six stories. But that’s just the beginning. A 270,000-square-foot mass timber structure is proposed for Chicago, and a 220,000-square- foot seven-story apartment complex is planned for Minneapolis. And a 100-story mass timber tower has been proposed for London, England. Now that’s aiming high. W HERE TO W RITE GRANT COUNTY • Grant County Courthouse — 201 S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-575-2248. • Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu- rylink.net. • Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville 97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541- 987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net • John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541- 575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoflongcreek. com. Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541- 932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net. • Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax: 820- 3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net. • Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca 97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161. Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com. SALEM • Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378- 3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www. governor.state.or.us/governor.html. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR ‘Mr. Webb’s true intentions’ To the Editor: I’m writing in response to a let- ter to the editor published last week in the Blue Mountain Eagle by Mr. Mark Webb. This is Mr. Webb’s response to a letter by Mrs. Judy Kerr of Can- yon City. Mr. Webb attempts to paint Mrs. Kerr as a paranoid con- spiracy theorist who’s afraid the U.N. is going to take over Grant County, but that’s not the reality of the matter. Not only is that patent- ly false, it’s part of a smoke screen designed to conceal Mr. Webb’s true intentions. The reality here is that Mr. Webb is doing the bidding of the U.S. Forest Service, and Steve Beverlin, Malheur forest supervi- sor, in particular. As evidence, I submit to you the following email sent from Mr. Beverlin Feb. 13, 2018, to Grant County Court mem- bers. Please note Mr. Beverlin’s obvi- ous concern for the very same ordi- nances Webb is attempting to have removed. Because this email was sent from a federal government official in the capacity of his role within the government to a public- ly elected official and concerning public matters, there’s no reason that Grant County citizens should be prevented from seeing it. This message was sent Feb. 13 from Mr. Beverlin to the county commis- sioners: “Scott, Jim, and Boyd, “I have attached a letter sent to then Grant County Judge Mark Webb in May of 2011 by then For- est Supervisor Teresa Raaf high- lighting the continued concerns of County vs. Federal Jurisdictional issues. The recent letters we all re- ceived by now resident Mark Webb raises these same issues. “I noticed today that nothing was on the Court Agenda for Feb- ruary 14th to discuss it. I am con- cerned that the Grant County Court continues to delay addressing this issue. “I believe it is time to get clar- ity around these issues and the re- maining Grant County Ordinances such as the UN Free Zone, Custom and Culture, Legality of the For- est Service, and Road Ordinance which are interwoven with it. I strongly urge you to move forward in a quick manner to gain the clar- ity needed. “Thank you. Steven K. Bev- erlin, Forest Supervisor, Malheur National Forest.” Sandy Rue Prairie City The wave To the Editor: Times do change. Sometimes for the good and sometimes not. When friends and family came for a visit not too long ago, I was proud to hear them comment about how much they enjoyed people waving at them as they drove by one anoth- er. That is falling by the wayside in today’s world. I personally always enjoyed the wave. Even from law enforcement officers. I’ve noticed that the lack of civility has changed by them also. I know we don’t live in Mayberry anymore, but if you get a wave, how about one back? This would include the men in the blue and black police cars that serve and protect us. Grant County can set a better standard by this simple, friendly action. David W. Davis John Day Just showing up To the Editor: Someone famous once said, “Showing up is 80 percent of life.” If that’s true, then Jamie Mc- Leod-Skinner is a winner in my book. Jamie is showing up every- where these days in Oregon District 2 — actually she’s been showing up everywhere in ORD-2 for over a year visiting and meeting people in all of the district’s counties. But where’s Walden? Jamie’s message is clear: people over party; support Oregon’s values of creating jobs and a livable wage; access to affordable health care for all; support veterans; stewardship of our natural resources; education without debt; create and enforce just laws; build strong communi- ties; and protect our “Dreamers.” And now we must all show up in November and cast our vote for change. Let’s be that 80 percent (or more) that show up and vote for all of us: the people that work, teach, study, serve, retire, create and enjoy all that ORD-2 has to offer. Lillian Koppelman Medford The United Nations is a threat To the Editor: I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Webb’s response in a recent let- ter to the editor and fully support his inalienable right to voice his opinion, although name calling was a bit tacky. In rebuttal, how- ever, I must point out that I was only one of 58 percent (1,326) of Grant County citizens who by vote determined the U.N. was a threat. The proposed American Sov- ereignty Restoration Act indi- cates that Grant County doesn’t stand alone in rejection of the U.N., and there is a process by which it can occur. As he point- ed out, U.N. invasion hasn’t hap- pened so we could hypothesize the existence of the measure is the reason. He really must stop confusing Oregon Revised Statues (ORS) that prove ordinances do not control the initiative process and measures passed by voters. The ORS’s he references actually sup- port the formation of Ordinance 2013-01 (ordinance pertaining to public road closures within Grant County, Oregon, determined en- forceable by county counsel). In an attempt not to drag this out and bore the feathers off a chicken, if you would take the time to look up ORS 203.030, 203.035, 203.060 and 203.111, which outline the powers of gov- erning body or electors, the defi- nition of “governing body,” legis- lative power by statute or charter and basis for judicial review, you might form your own interpreta- tion of your rights as electors. If the ordinance and the mea- sures are so “useless,” why is it so important that after 13 years for the measures and five years for an ordinance to seek their de- feat, and who would benefit? He calls it “scaremongering,” but I call it a challenge to get educated on what is happening in our county and who is assum- ing to control our economy and public lands. Proving me right or wrong matters little if it inspires you to look for yourself. It takes a lot of effort and intellect to of- fend me, and to succeed I must first value your opinion. Nice try, though. Judy Kerr Canyon City L etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............ ..................... C HRIS R USH , CRUSH @ EOMEDIAGROUP . COM E DITOR & G ENERAL M ANAGER ... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ M AKENNA A DAIR , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA H AND , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Copyright © 2018 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews
